COUNCIL APPROVES CROWN HEIGHTS CENTER PROPOSAL

North County Lifeline would offer child care, job training

Plans by a North County nonprofit agency to reopen and expand a child care center in Oceanside’s troubled Crown Heights neighborhood were approved by the City Council this week, with a promise of more action to come to deter gang violence.

The council also accepted a Planning Commission recommendation to allow the Crossroads Smoke House Barbecue restaurant to expand its operation in the Camino Town and Country shopping center at 2237-2241 El Camino Real.

The unanimous vote Wednesday to approve a deal with North County Lifeline follows a March 13 shooting in Libby Lake Park in northern Oceanside in which two teens were killed and two wounded and an April 1 drive-by shooting in Crown Heights in which no one was hurt.

“Lifeline has been a phenomenal partner for the city of Oceanside,” Councilwoman Esther Sanchez said. “They’ve been consistent, they’ve been in our community, they have provided professional services for our kids.”

The council has also scheduled a workshop next Wednesday with board members of the Oceanside Unified School District to look for ways the city and schools can work more together to deter violence.

Councilman Jerry Kern said he’s hoping nonprofit groups who work with teens will also participate.

Under the deal approved at the council meeting, Lifeline will take over the city-owned building at 402 Brooks St. that had been used by Camp Fire USA for more than 50 years for child care and after-school programs.

The building has been vacant since Camp Fire shut down its program there in July after the nonprofit was unable to raise the $85,000 to $100,000 the agency said was needed to keep it open.

Lifeline will pay no rent under the deal, but will pick up the cost of building maintenance and utilities, city Neighborhood Services Director Margery Pierce said.

The plan is to expand after-school and other programs the agency now offers at the Crown Heights Resource Center at 1210 Division St.

Demand is so high for services at the Resource Center that there’s typically a waiting list of up to 40 kids, North County Lifeline Director Donald Stump said in an earlier interview.

In addition to after-school programs, the nonprofit plans to offer a child care training program to teach neighborhood residents how to open their own child care centers in their homes. Job placement and job training services also would be available, as would financial literacy and health and nutrition classes.

In other business, the expansion of Crossroads restaurant would allow the business to take over adjacent vacant space in the shopping center that was formerly In Cahoots restaurant. It would also allow Crossroads to feature live entertainment, dancing and full alcohol beverage service.

Restaurant co-owner Otis Henderson said the entertainment will be targeted at “the mature-minded person.”

Entertainment will include country-western dancing, comedy shows, “old school rock and roll” and live jazz and blues, Henderson said.

City Principal Planner Amy Fousekis said there were no objections to the proposal.